Kishtwar: An elderly woman from Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, who made repeated emotional social media appeals urging her Hizbul Mujahideen commander son to abandon militancy and surrender, passed away four days ago without seeing her wish fulfilled.
Janna Begum, an octogenarian resident of Aniyar village in the Marwah belt, died at her home. In heartfelt video messages circulated widely in November and December last year, she pleaded with her son, Riaz Ahmed, to return home. "Let him surrender and come back to take care of us. At least he should be here when we are alive and shoulder my coffin," she had said.
A close relative confirmed that Begum's final wish went unmet, leaving her to pass away without reuniting with her son. Riaz Ahmed, classified as an 'A-plus' category commander by security forces, carries a bounty of Rs 10 lakh and has been active with the outfit for around 15 years. Officials describe him as one of the longest-surviving Hizbul operatives in the region.
In her appeals, Begum questioned the very basis of militancy, highlighting the abandonment of aging parents. "What kind of jihad is this where parents are abandoned? We are alone. Who will take care of us?" she asked poignantly. A police official noted that such family pleas signal a broader shift in public sentiment against terrorism, adding, "Terrorism is not good for the country. Those who pick up guns face either death or jail. If he listens to his parents and surrenders, it will be a good step."
(Inputs from PTI)